Special Effects Artists and Animators
Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
This is a specialization of
Artists & DesignersCareer Overview Video
AI Impact Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Score 2/6: high AI task exposure indicates this career is being transformed by AI
How we calculated this:
53% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
+2% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 16/25
Key Responsibilities
- Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
- Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
- Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
- Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
- Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
- Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
Education & Training
Typical Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
Time to Job Ready
4-6 years
Based on Job Zone 4. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.
Technology Skills
Key Abilities
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Find jobs and training programs for special effects artists and animators- Median salary: $99K/year
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Compensation Details
Based on 29,940 employed workers
Also Known As
Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
O*NET Code: 27-1014.00